VANCOUVER, B.C. – There's no doubt the league-leading Vancouver Whitecaps have become a tougher team this season.
That’s manifested itself both mentally – with their newfound winning mindset on the road – and physically – as demonstrated by the number of fouls they've committed and cards they've picked up.
Last season the Whitecaps were very much in the middle of the pack with those latter two statistics. Their 58 yellow cards were just above the league average of 54.11. This year, Vancouver lead the way, by a large margin, with 133 fouls and 27 cautions after their first nine games.
So just what is behind Vancouver's more physical approach? Caps' coach Carl Robinson says it's not been a conscious decision.
"I'm not sure," Robinson said. "I've addressed it with the guys. I've told them they can't pick up any silly bookings. Half of them have been silly bookings, and whether they're warranted or not, I don't know, but they have been."
There is a feeling in the Vancouver camp, however, that the team has picked up a reputation with referees that has led to early bookings in matches, while their opponents are being shown more leniency in the opening stages.
It’s an issue that has become a genuine concern for Robinson, and he's even taken the step of speaking to Professional Referee Organization (PRO) general manager Peter Walton – primarily to clear the air.
"I've spoken to Peter a couple of times about certain things," Robinson said this week. "They have enough on their plate. I'm sure that if every manager calls up Peter and airs their views, then by the time he's finished dealing with them we'll be in next week's round of games. It is what it is. Do I agree? Maybe I'll agree to disagree."
Robinson’s most pressing concern now is dealing with the aftermath of the flurry of bookings. He’ll be without the services of key defensive midfielder Matias Laba for Saturday’s Cascadia Cup clash in Portland (10:30 pm ET; TSN in Canada, MLS LIVE in US) after he was sent off last weekend against D.C. United. It is Vancouver's fourth suspension so far this year.
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"We have to make sure that [bookings] don't come back to bite us on the backside at some stage," Robinson said. "If you keep picking up silly bookings then you're going to get suspensions. Unfortunately we've got a suspension on Saturday. Mati Laba's missing, which is not ideal because he's a top player for us. But it will give other guys an opportunity."
Whitecaps defenders Sam Adekugbe and Kendall Waston are both sitting on four bookings, one away from a suspension, heading into what is usually a fiery affair with the Timbers. Despite the prospect of losing them to another card, Robinson says it won't change the way he puts his team out for the game.
"That doesn't play into any thoughts of mine," Robinson said. "If I think that a player is going be missing if they get another yellow card, I don't think I'm doing my job correctly. I'll pick the best team to win that game, and I'll do that on Saturday."
